Imagine That
by Scented Candles
Summary: Hinata is a shy and quiet writer. She writes about excitement and romance, she doesn’t live them, but she gets stuck in a snowstorm with dark, brooding actor Uchiha Sasuke. Someone wants him dead and Hinata is caught in the crossfire. SasuHina
1. Chapter 1

**Imagine That**

Hinata is a shy and quiet writer. She writes about excitement and romance, she doesn't live them, but she gets stuck in a snowstorm with dark, brooding actor Uchiha Sasuke. Someone wants him dead and Hinata is caught in the crossfire. SasuHina

A/N: Remember, this story is set in Alternate Universe so there might be some OOC-ness from the characters but there are reasons behind their behaviors, please bear in mind. Standard Disclaimers Apply.

**Attention: **To everyone who has been asking, yup, this story has been inspired by Meg Cabot's book 'She Went All The Way' I believe is what its called, but its just inspired by it and is no way compying it, promise. if you still have concerns, tell me, i'll be happy to remove the story.

**Chapter One: **

There was barely anyone in the small café in the terminal located in the mountainous region of Shirakawa-go in Gifu Prefecture. It was cold. Even bundled inside a thick black coat, with a scarf around her neck, indoors, Hinata could still feel the cold seep into her bones. She kept her fingers clasped around the mug of hot tea she'd ordered and smiled at Sakura who sat across from her.

"I'm really glad you came with me, I don't think I would stand a chance of changing his mind if not for you," she told Sakura sincerely. She was on a mission and Sakura was the only one person who could help her accomplish her goal.

Hinata was going up to Hakusan to try and disabuse Kimimaro of his insane notion that it would be better to actually blow out a huge chunk of the mountain and film it live instead of using computer graphics for the final, climactic scene of Yuki No Yume, or Snow Dreams, Hinata's latest screenplay in production.

The locals, along with a number of environmentalist organizations, had been understandably outraged by this idea, but the studio had bought the piece of land Kimimaro was planning to detonate for exactly that purpose. There was nothing anyone could do to stop the bombing, if Kimimaro himself didn't change his mind.

That was the main reason why Hinata, even though she didn't really have to be there, her part in the production having long been done and over with, was braving the cold and wishing she was back in Tokyo in her cozy apartment, relaxing and starting on a novel she'd been planning to write for ages.

Hinata was betting heavily on Sakura's influence on Kimimaro, she hoped that her plan would work out for the best, or else there would be a huge chunk missing from Mt. Hakusan pretty soon. She bit her lip and took a sip of her tea, just barely managing not to make a face at the vile taste of it in her mouth.

Sakura reached over and patted Hinata's arm. "Oh don't worry so much. I'm sure you'll be able to change his mind. To tell you the truth, I'm not very keen on his idea either and I promise to do everything I can to help you out," Sakura smiled. "You know how my husband and I adore you Hinata. After all, we wouldn't have met if it weren't for you."

Hinata smiled, remembering. She had met Kimimaro almost seven years ago, on the set of Sunset Dreams, a screenplay she had written and Kimimaro had been tasked to direct. The movie had won 'Movie of the Year' and earned Kimimaro a best director nomination and Hinata an award for 'Best Screenplay'. Described as a modern fairy tale, dream-like and poignant, the movie critics had gone crazy over it and fans nation wide had fallen in love with the alienated and misunderstood anti-hero, Jubei Kurosawa, played by Uchiha Sasuke, then still an up and coming actor.

"That night at the Tokyo TV Awards when you introduced Kimimaro and I, was a turning point in my life. Meeting Kimimaro was…" Sakura sighed and traced the rim of the cup of espresso she'd ordered, looking lost in thought. "Hinata…did you ever think, while we were still in Konoha Arts Academy, that we'd end up like this? An award winning writer and an actress…"

Hinata took another sip of her tea, ignoring the taste and savoring the warmth it provided instead. She'd always hoped that she'd be able to at least support herself as a writer. Having been successful and won awards had been a pleasant surprise. "I just liked to write, that's all. But I never really doubted that you'd be famous. Everyone always said you would go far."

"Ugh, don't remind me. There were times when I just wanted to disappear, you know? I felt bad about it, but people always telling me I'd be great, it kind of weighed me down a bit…" Sakura sighed. "Am I making sense?"

"Sometimes, other people's expectations of you can be a burden," Hinata agreed. She'd lived through it and was glad that she no longer had to pander to other people's expectations of her. She had her own life to live.

Sakura nodded. "Exactly. That's why you're a writer Hinata…you find the exact words to convey emotions other people can't seem to express correctly. Kimimaro thinks so too, that's why he says he prefers working with you above all other screenwriters."

"Ah…" Hinata blushed, always uncomfortable with praise. "Uh…you and Kimimaro-kun have been together for three years now, right?"

Sakura positively glowed as she beamed at Hinata. "We've been married for almost four years now. I'm so glad I ended up with him. Our anniversary is coming up soon you know."

"I know. That's why I chose to come up now and asked you to come up with me. I'm hoping he's in a good mood and you can soften him up so he'll listen to reason." Hinata's smile dimmed. "I heard he's been having some trouble with Kin…"

"I can't believe Kin Tsuchi made such a scene over her break-up with Sasuke-kun." Sakura rolled her eyes. "It's all over the news!"

"Pushing the sofa out of his balcony was a bit much," Hinata commented. "Someone could have gotten hurt." It was a good thing that the incident had happened at 2:00 in the morning and that Sasuke's balcony overlooked a private swimming pool.

"Everyone's referring to it as the 'love-seat incident'. I guess the studio wouldn't mind much, it's extra publicity for the movie anyway."

Hinata sighed and nodded, mentally agreeing with Sakura's assessment. It seemed obscene. Hinata was glad she was a writer and not an actor. In the world in which she worked, it was the screenwriters who were at the bottom of the social hierarchy and yet she really didn't mind. She enjoyed her work, she loved creating stories and she never did like the limelight anyway.

"I guess they'll never learn huh? No one can tie Sasuke-kun down. I don't think he's the settling down type." Sakura tapped her manicured nails on the table top in a staccato rhythm. "It's like, the moment he hears the C word, he bolts."

"C word?"

"Commitment Hina-chan. Commitment. It's the same with most men these days," Sakura murmured. "Since time immemorial even."

"Oh." Hinata blinked in surprise. She'd known Sakura (though they weren't exactly friends back then) since they were eighteen and freshmen at Konoha Arts Academy. Sakura had been one of the most popular girls at school and had had about a million suitors, the most prominent of which were Rock Lee and Hinata's blonde best friend, Uzumaki Naruto. "I didn't think you had any problems with getting guys to commit…"

Both Lee and Naruto would have given an arm and a leg to date Sakura and would have died at the chance to claim her as their girlfriend.

Sakura gave Hinata a small smile. "That's sweet of you, but you know Sasuke was the only one I ever wanted to commit to – well before Kimimaro that is…"

"I always thought you were much better off with Kimimaro," Hinata stated. "You seem more content now than back when you and Sasuke were still together at Konoha."

"Well, we were still young back then and having a relationship with Sasuke was certainly…tumultuous…" Sakura smiled at Hinata. "I remember, back in school, you weren't one of the girls who had a crush on him, were you?"

Hinata shook her head. "No, I wasn't. He and Naruto were rivals and Naruto is my best friend…so…"

"Naruto is on tour now, isn't he? With his band…"

"Hai, in Europe. Kiba was very excited and Shino-kun said something about the different breeds of bugs he'd find there. Gaara-kun's taken Hanabi with him on the tour as well."

"Oh yeah, Gaara and your little sister are engaged now, aren't they?"

Hinata smiled and nodded. "They're good together, I think."

"Huh, who would have thought Naruto would become a lead singer in a rock band. But I guess I'm really not that surprised. All that energy…" Sakura glanced out the window, a fond remembering smile on her face. "Neh, Hinata, you used to know Sasuke before, didn't you? Before you two enrolled in Konoha…before you met Naruto."

"Uchiha-san and I went to the same schools since kindergarten…our families kind of had business dealings with each other in the past…" Hinata murmured as she took another sip of tea. The taste was ghastly and it was already lukewarm. "He and I were never close though."

I just watched him carelessly trample my best friends' hearts. First with Ino, and then Naruto…even when we were kids, he was always so very cold and it only seemed to get worse as he got older.

There were times when Hinata was with Sakura, that she wished she were with her best friend, Ino, instead. Not that Hinata wasn't friends with Sakura or anything (Hinata considered Sakura to be quite a close friend), it was just that Sakura was very fond of talking about Uchiha Sasuke who just happened to be one of Hinata's least favorite people in the world.

It was a shame really, since if one didn't put too fine a point on it, Sasuke was Hinata's cousin of sorts. Very few people were aware of the family connection and Hinata wasn't particularly inclined to enlighten the rest of the world to the fact that Uchiha Sasuke and she were, indeed, related, be it distantly.

She really should have known better than to introduce Kin into their conversation, Kin Tsuchi being Uchiha Sasuke's latest girlfriend and all.

Hoping that Sakura would let the subject of Sasuke drop (Hinata wasn't relishing talking about him all the way up the mountain) she looked down at her watch and glanced around the interior of the café before sighing. "I wonder where our pilot is? Aren't we supposed to leave soon?"

Sakura shrugged as she rummaged through her Prada tote and pulled out a compact. "Maybe he got delayed or something," she guessed as she checked her appearance. There was a tinkling sound and Sakura rummaged around her bag for her phone to check her messages and promptly let out a little sound of dismay. "Excuse me a moment, I have to go make a call."

"Is it something bad?" Hinata asked in concern.

Sakura pursed her lips in thought before shaking her head. "No…no I don't think it is. It's just inconvenient, that's all…"

Hinata checked her own phone (sometimes she couldn't feel it vibrate in her pocket) and was disgusted to see that it didn't have any signal. "I really should switch phones like Neji-niisan keeps saying. This thing is virtually useless unless you're in a metropolitan area…" Hinata mumbled as she pocketed her phone and blew on her hands, trying to ward off the chill.

She was already bundled up in her warmest clothes but she had always been naturally averse to the cold. She hoped they would be on their way to Hakusan soon because the sooner she talked to Kimimaro, the sooner she could go home and forget about ever being in Japan's White Mountain.

Hinata was still blowing on her fingers and had ordered another mug of hot tea for warmth, when Sakura came back bearing bad news. "I'm sorry Hinata, but I don't think I'll be able to fly up with you to Hakusan like we planned…"

"What's wrong? Is anything the matter?" A crease of worry appeared between Hinata's brown and she was starting to chew her lower lip in anxiety.

"Calm down, Hinata," Sakura said with a little laugh. "It's nothing really serious. Kimimaro said that our housekeeper called and told him that Pakkun seems to have eaten something he shouldn't have and needs his stomach pumped. I'll just go and make sure that he's fine before I go up after you later this afternoon."

"Oh…I hope Pakkun's okay. I had no idea Kakashi-san had left Pakkun to you."

Hatake Kakashi handled both Sakura and Naruto's careers. He'd handled Sasuke too before Sasuke had decided to shift management. In the years Kakashi had been Naruto and Sakura's agent, Hinata had also gotten to know him and was quite surprised when her own agent, Kurenai-san, had expressed an acute dislike for the silver haired man.

"Kakashi-sensei went on a vacation and entrusted the care of his dogs to me since Naruto is out of the country. Usually, I only get Pakkun and the bigger dogs go to Naruto. We had to hire a dog nanny for the lot of them. I just wish Kakashi-sensei would quit using the same brand shampoo that I use, as Pakkun's bath soap. It's annoying, having that dog smell the same as I do."

When their pilot arrived, Hinata was quick to inquire what was causing the delay. When the man failed to answer, his eyes trained at Sakura, Hinata cleared her throat and asked again. "Anou…sumimasen…demo…when do you think we'll be able to leave?"

The pilot, whose name turned out to be Yusuke, flushed bright red and apologized to Hinata before explaining that they were still waiting for another passenger to show up before they could leave. "As soon as Uchiha-san arrives, we'll be on our way…"

A small gasp escaped from Sakura's lips, her eyes widening in surprise. "S-Sasuke-kun…"

OOO

Hinata sighed as she fished out a tube of lip-gloss from her purse (the one Hanabi referred to as her Monster Bag due to it's size) and slicked it over her lips. She'd always been pale and the contrast of her skin tone against the blackness of her hair didn't help matters any.

Normally, Hinata didn't really spend so much time caring about how she looked but Uchiha Sasuke was going to be on the plane with her and Hinata would rather eat glass than appear unkempt in front of him. It was a matter of pride.

It had been her first year at Konoha and she knew no one there. Her cousin Neji and her friends had gone to different universities and for the first time in her life, Hinata literally knew no one at school.

And then, she'd spotted Sasuke walking towards her direction and she had felt such relief flood through her. Surely, he wouldn't mind if she talked to him for a little while. Hinata was painfully shy and it took a lot of guts for her to approach him, but before she could open her mouth to say something, Sasuke had barked "Get the hell out of my way," before he left her standing there, face red, and feeling like a fool.

Hinata could still hear the snickers, as she stood alone in that hallway, red faced, humiliated and trying very, very hard not to cry.

"Of all the people…it had to be him, didn't it?" she muttered to her reflection as she shook her head ruefully. This little venture of hers didn't seem to be off to an auspicious start.

She used to see him sometimes during family reunions when the Uchihas, distant relatives of the Hyuugas, would go to the Main House and visit with them. Sasuke's older brother, Itachi, was to be the next head of the Uchiha Clan and it was important to maintain good relations.

Hinata kind of liked Itachi, he was always a little quiet and his eyes looked tired, but once, when she'd been six and Itachi had been in his teens, he'd caught her looking at him and he'd smiled at her and winked, causing her to blush and hide behind Neji.

Making sure that her appearance was in order, Hinata exited the bathroom and promptly spotted Uchiha Sasuke, who was standing by the coffee counter beside Sakura. He was encased in a dark coal gray coat and black jeans, his dark hair stylishly unkempt, looking far too relaxed for someone whose latest breakup had been widely publicized around the nation.

The last time she'd seen him in person was when they'd finished filming Sunset Dreams, and that was almost seven years ago. Hinata would have preferred it if they never crossed paths again, but when Sound Entertainment had picked up her screenplay for Yuki no Yume, they had immediately cast Sasuke as the lead and Kimimaro as director. It seemed that the production company was hoping to recreate the success that Sunset Dreams had achieved by reuniting Sasuke, Hinata and Kimimaro.

"There you are!" Sakura said grinning as she waved Hinata over. "Look who finally decided to make an appearance. Shame on you Sasuke-kun, Hinata and I have been waiting for ages."

This, of course, was an exaggeration but Hinata let it slide, a part of her wishing that Sasuke felt a tiny bit of guilt but another part telling her that it was impossible since guilty consciences didn't exist for someone who so obviously did not have a conscience…or a heart for that matter.

Sasuke looked up from the cup of coffee he'd been holding between his hands and raised an eyebrow at Sakura before he glanced Hinata's way.

Sasuke's eyes weren't black, like most Uchiha eyes were. His were a very deep gray that appeared almost black in most lights, but his coat and the café's lighting managed to reveal his true eye color.

"Oh, it's you," he muttered with barely a spark of recognition in his eyes before he turned back to drinking his coffee.

There was a casual dismissal in the gesture, as if Hinata was nothing, and it made her face burn in humiliation. Kami-sama, he was such an ass! This was why she disliked him – because he seemed incapable of even an ounce of normal human decency. It wasn't just in the way he treated her, it was in the way he seemed to treat everyone else.

Hinata hated the inbred courtesy in her that demanded she bow politely in greeting, with a murmured. "Hisashiburi desu, Uchiha-san."

If he heard her at all, he didn't show it.

OOO

Sasuke, for his part, was barely aware of anything outside the murky depths of his coffee. All he really wanted to do was finish filming Yuki no Yume so he could hide away somewhere deserted for a little while until he felt sane enough to face people again.

It hadn't even been a full two days since he'd decided to call it quits with Kin and already everyone in the country knew about it. He was irritated at the invasion of his privacy and the stupidity of Kin's actions.

A sofa over his balcony!

He'd been too stunned to do much of anything as he'd watched her rage at him and push at the sofa and he really didn't think she'd be able to do it, but somehow she managed to topple it over the balcony and down it went…

To make matters worse, the whole world seemed to be interested in his take on the 'love-seat incident' as if his answer to the question would automatically solve all of mankind's problems.

It was stupid, all of this was so stupid and he could clearly hear Itachi's sardonic voice chuckling "Foolish Little Brother…" in his head. Sasuke scowled at the thought of Itachi picking up a newspaper, reading the headlines and laughing at his expense.

Once again, he was proving that he was nothing but a disgrace to his family. Running into a Hyuuga while he was in the midst of a controversy was just as bad as running into one of his clan, especially his brother. Sasuke's scowl deepened and he wondered if Hinata would go home and tell her family about seeing him. No doubt the Hyuugas were laughing at him too.

Damn it, he really should have known better…but he'd thought that with Kin, things would be different…that she'd finally be able to make him feel worthy of being alive.

"Uchiha-san…?"

Sasuke turned to look at a rather large, burly man with red ears and uneven teeth. Before he could answer the man, he felt Sakura's hand land lightly on his arm and he turned to glance at her. "Take care of Hina-chan for me…"

"Huh?"

"I won't be able to fly up to Hakusan with the two of you. Take care of Hinata-chan, she's not very comfortable flying."

Sasuke glanced over at Hinata to see her looking at him. When she realized he'd turned to her, her expression become neutral and she gave him a polite nod before looking away.

He got the feeling that she didn't particularly approve of him. If that were true, it was fine since he didn't particularly care what she thought of him anyway.

The pilot turned to Hinata with surprise. "Y-You'll be coming too Miss? I thought you were supposed to go back with Mrs. Kaguya."

It was odd, Sasuke thought absently, to hear Sakura be referred to as Mrs. Kaguya. He watched as Hinata smiled at the pilot and shook her head. "Iie. I'm still scheduled to fly up to Hakusan. It's very important I get there."

"Uh…b-but…"

The airport terminal's sound system came to life and a mechanical sounding announced the weather forecast.

"Yusuke-san, I really am scheduled for a flight. I have a meeting with Kaguya-san and I'd hate to be late."

"B-but…"

Sasuke sighed. This was taking too long. "She's already said she'd go. I'd like to arrive in Hakusan before the snow starts. Shall we go then?"

The pilot blinked and nodded, glancing once more at Hinata before sighing. "If your sure Miss."

"Yes I am," Hinata said with a nod.

"Alright then, sorry," Yusuke said as he ambled off.

"What a strange man," Sakura murmured. "Well you two best be off then. Be safe and I'll see you later, okay Hinata. Take care."

"You too Sakura. I hope Pakkun feels better," Hinata said as she waved her friend off and followed the pilot.

Sasuke pushed his hands deep into the pockets of his coat and sighed. Sometimes, he really hated his life.

OOO

Sasuke stepped out onto the Tarmac and sucked in a breath as bitter cold assaulted him. He pulled his coat more closely around him, grateful for the slight protection of his gloves, as he went to the aircraft waiting at the Tarmac.

"Where's the Cessna?" he asked the pilot over the whirl of the helicopter blades. The Cessna Caravan was a turbo-prop aircraft that comfortably carried eight people and was used to take the director and crew to and from the mountain. This helicopter looked like it could barely seat four let alone eight people.

"The Cessna's unavailable sir, but this R-44's brand new. Kaguya-san uses it to get some of his aerial shots so it's completely safe, I assure you."

Hinata was already in the backseat with a set of headphones over her ears, her eyes screwed shut. She had her arms around herself to ward of the cold. It was clearly not working. Her nose and cheeks were red and she looked utterly miserable as she continuously mumbled something under her breath. All in all, she was not the perfect picture of the famous Hyuuga Composure right then.

Sasuke sighed and climbed into the front seat at the pilot's insistence. He glanced behind him to see how the Hyuuga was doing, remembering Sakura's words that Hinata wasn't comfortable with air travel.

"She's not very comfortable flying…"

"Are you okay?" Sasuke found himself asking. Like it or not, Sakura had rendered him responsible for Hinata during this flight and since the Hyuuga heiress had written the role that had been instrumental in his success as an actor, Sasuke felt that he owed it to her, at least, to ask.

Hinata opened her eyes and nodded at him. "I-I'm f-fine…"

The chopper lurched a bit as it lifted off and Hinata let out a small 'eep' before she screwed her eyes shut once more and returned to praying. Sasuke lifted an eyebrow before he turned back around, inclining his head a bit to watch as the scenery changed from a small mountain town to blankets of white snow dotted with occasional green trees and black rock.

The chopper would lurch occasionally and every single time it did, Hinata would let out a little gasp and whimper. Sasuke felt mild amusement at this. Hinata Hyuuga was one of the Japanese Film Industry's top power players. She was a multi-awarded screenwriter and the heiress of one of Japan's richest and oldest families; she had breeding, poise and sophistication…at least that was what the magazines said.

Sasuke just remembered her as a shy little girl, one who used to follow Neji around a lot, and then when she'd gotten older, she'd followed Naruto. Somewhere between then and now, Hinata had managed to lose her occasional stutter and she no longer seemed to cower when coming across new people. Oh yes, he'd noticed that trait, he wasn't blind, he just never really cared about her one way or the other. He'd had other things on his mind back then.

He had wanted to prove to himself and to his family that he could be successful too. He could be as successful as Itachi was. Perhaps then, his father would stop telling him how unworthy he was to be an Uchiha.

Sasuke frowned. He didn't like the path his thoughts were taking. Being near the Hyuuga reminded him too much of his past. A past he was trying desperately to escape.

He closed his eyes, suddenly feeling tired. He hadn't been able to sleep well, with the whole commotion about Kin and the 'love-seat incident'. Kin…he'd really thought that he could make it work with her. He'd tried, but...

"Uchiha-san…"

Sasuke was yanked from his reverie by the realization that there was something cold and very hard pressed up against his temple.

Hinata made a small, horrified sound in the backseat and Sasuke's eyes immediately went to her. She was ashen, her huge pale eyes looking at him and her hand trembling as she covered her mouth to suppress her sobs.

"I'm really sorry you had to see this Miss Hinata…I tried to keep you from coming but…" Yusuke shrugged and pressed the gun harder against Sasuke's head to get his attention. "Now see here Uchiha-san, nothing personal or anything, it's just that you really have to die now…"

OOO

**To Be Continued**

OOO

Hisashiburi – Long time no see or it's been a long time…

Sumimasen – Excuse me

Demo - But

A/N: So, did you guys like it? Please leave a review and tell me what you think. Hinata and Sasuke may seem a bit out of character but it is AU and they around 28-29 years old. If you're interested in reading more, please don't forget to leave a review. Comment, suggestion, requests are welcome, just no flames please. Thanks.


	2. Chapter 2

**Imagine That**

**Usual Disclaimers Apply**

**A/N: **Hello! It has been quite a while since I updated hasn't it? I hope some people still remember this little story of mine! To everyone who has reviewed, thank you! Enjoy!

**Chapter Two:**

Hinata pushed herself deeper against the cushion of the backseat, trying to calm her frazzled nerves and think rationally. It was so cold and she felt frozen. She couldn't move, could barely breathe. She kept her hand firmly over her mouth to stifle the terrified sounds she knew she was emitting now and again.

She was so afraid that if she let out a tiny sound or made a movement that startled the pilot, the man would accidentally pull the trigger…on the other hand, if she didn't do something, he was going to pull the trigger anyway and Sasuke would still die.

The course of action she should take eluded Hinata. It was so much easier when she was thinking up plots and could press 'DELETE' if she'd done something wrong. This was real and one wrong move could get her and Sasuke killed.

Neji, Hinata was sure, would have known what to do in a situation like this and not for the first time in her life did she wish that she had some modicum of the genius her cousin was so famous for.

As if sensing her distress, Yusuke turned to Hinata and gave her an apologetic look. "I'm real sorry miss; I did try to tell you not to go. You weren't part of the plan you see…"

"Plan?" Hinata repeated, somehow managing to meet Yusuke's eyes. It astounded her that he actually did sound contrite. "I…Is someone forcing you to do this?"

The apologetic look melted and Yusuke's demeanor changed from that of a slightly bumbling pilot into that of a professional assassin. The hard steel in his eyes made Hinata flinch back in response.

"The target was Uchiha Sasuke; you weren't part of the mission objective. You were supposed to go back with Mrs. Kaguya but I guess someone made a mistake somewhere in the arrangement…" Yusuke shook his head. "Shame really…"

"M-Mistake?" Oh Kami-sama, she was going to die because someone had made a _mistake_!

"There's no help for it anymore I suppose, nothing I could do about it now. We're not allowed to leave witnesses…"

He was going to kill her. Well, she had kind of figured that out when she'd seen him brandishing the gun, but to have it confirmed still horrified her. Hinata opened her mouth to say something, anything, but all she could manage was a pitiful half-whimper-half-sob that sounded pathetic even to her own ears.

"You're going to kill her too? Don't you think you're employed won't be too happy about that?"

Sasuke's voice sounded dead calm to Hinata and she wondered how he managed it, with a gun pointed to his head, when she herself was currently falling apart at the seams. She noticed his hands. He was taking his gloves off slowly, as to draw no attention to them, but Hinata noticed. It was too cold up here for that, what was he doing?

"Maybe not, but it was really important to our employer that you die. Casualties happen in jobs like this, though this one is a bit more unfortunate than most." Yusuke glanced at Hinata again. "It's too bad; you seem like a nice girl you know…"

"T-Thank you…" Hinata blurted out in surprise, blushing when she realized how absurd it was to thank someone who would be killing her in am minute or two. She focused on Sasuke; Yusuke didn't seem to notice he'd taken off his gloves.

"If its money you're after, then tell me how much your employer is paying you and I'll triple it. You name a price and I'll pay you No one will ever have to know."

Yusuke shook his head. "No dice, I've made a deal you see…and I'm not working this gig alone. Besides, my employer's not the kind of folk you double cross…but…" A considering look entered his expression. "Exactly how much money are we talking here?"

"Name your price." Sasuke reiterated.

Yusuke seemed to be giving it some though, and Hinata managed to calm her nerves enough to speak. "I can…I can pay you too, just say how much you want."

And if she couldn't afford it, she'd borrow money from Neji and pay him back by installment. She knew her cousin wouldn't mind.

It all happened in a flash. Yusuke had turned towards her and the next thing Hinata knew, the man was down on the floor, on his knees, his two hands held behind his back by Sasuke – who was holding the gun and looking as furious as she'd ever seen anyone look.

Hinata was impressed despite herself. She would have clapped in relief if it weren't so inappropriate for the moment.

"Who ordered you to take me out?" Sasuke hissed at the ma, his dark eyes tinting red with released fury. "Tell me now or I'll blow you're skull open with your own gun."

"You can't kill me," the man said as he struggled. "Who's going to keep this thing afloat if I'm gone?"

A small, sadistic smile appeared on Sasuke's face. "You must not be very good in your chosen profession because if you'd done a proper background check on me, you'd know I'm licensed to fly helicopters."

"Shit!" The curse exploded from Yusuke with the force of a gunshot. "That stupid asshole messed up recon!"

Recon? Reconnaissance. Yusuke had teammates and there were more people out there hired to kill Sasuke. Hinata wondered what in the world Uchiha could have done to have someone hate him enough to hire a team of assassins to kill him.

Sasuke pressed the barrel of the gun harder against the pilot's temple. "Now that we understand each other, I suggest you talk…"

OOO

Neji was looking over the feasibility study for the new merger he was negotiating when his secretary informed him that he had an overseas call from Hanabi. Neji sighed and picked up his telephone. "What is it Hanabi? Make it quick, I'm busy."

"Is that the way to greet one of your most favorite people in the whole wide world?"

"Seeing as you assigned yourself said position and the validity of your claim is questionable at best, then yes, I think my greeting is quite acceptable…appropriate even."

"Oh kami-sama Neji-niisan!" Hanabi sighed, "Can you be any more boring?"

"Why thank you Hanabi, your words warm my heart," Neji replied graciously, knowing it would irritate his younger cousin. Hanabi made a disgruntled sound over the phone prompting Neji to smile in satisfaction. (There was no one in his office to see so he could indulge) "Is there any reason for this untimely disruption so early in the morning?"

"Well, it's not morning here and I was going to ask about oneesan. I tried calling her at her apartment, but all I got was the machine and when I try her cell phone, it's her answering service that picks up."

"Her cell phone's probably out of range. I told her to switch already but she keeps on forgetting," he sighed and looked out the window. The weather report stated it was supposed to snow in Gifu that day and Neji knew how sensitive Hinata was to the cold. "She's scheduled for a trip to Shirakawa-go today. Have you forgotten?"

"Oh yeah, to go up to that mountain…huh…stupid difference in time zone's got me all confused again."

"Hn…" Neji said noncommittally, noting Hanabi's language deteriorating and knowing that she was doing deliberately to goad him. (Or "dislodge that stick up your ass", as Hanabi liked to say.) It seemed to be – much to Neji's disconcertion – one of life's greater pleasures for his younger cousin.

Neji switched to speaker phone and resumed his work, letting Hanabi's voice drone on as background noise. Bits and pieces of what she was saying filtered in from time to time, like how Gaara and the others were practicing for the show later and how a groupie had snuck inside Kiba's room and had almost gotten mauled by Akamaru.

Neji remembered to grunt occasionally to keep up the appearance that he was indeed listening. He made a note of the figure projected as to how much the proposed merger was going to cost the company and turned to the next page.

"You know, I can hear you shuffling those documents of yours…but since I'm having way too much fun over here, I'll let it slide…"

"Speaking of you being over there, Hanabi I would like to inform you that your father and the elders are still not very pleased with your decision to go with Gaara on his tour."

"So? It's not like I'm with strangers. Gaara's my fiancée. Kiba and Shino are childhood friends of oneesan's and Naruto is oneesan's best friend."

"You know very well how the family is with regards to Hinata-sama."

"Hey! You still haven't told me why you call oneesan Hinata-sama and I only get to be plain old Hanabi! We're both younger than you are! Hidoi Neji-niisan! You're still mean, even in your old age!"

Neji rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, who cares about what the family thinks, hmmm? What are they going to do? Threaten to disown me too? They won't have any heirs left if they do."

Neji felt himself smile. "True…"

OOO

Sasuke was so angry and so focused on getting the name of the person who'd tried to have him killed, that he was barely aware of anything else except the rage fueled adrenaline pumping through his veins, the cold feeling of metal in his hands and the whir of helicopter blades overhead.

It had always been like this for him. His anger focused him and boosted him up to new levels of concentration and determination. The major driving force behind most of his achievements in life had not really come from ambition…it had sprung from anger; at himself, at Itachi, at his father, at his family…

Somewhere along the line, some of his anger had turned into a hate so intense he'd been consumed by it. Now though, there was only a sort of dull throb and an empty void that pulsed and grew and ate at him until he was afraid there wasn't going to be anything left of himself anymore.

For a moment there, he'd almost given in. what did it matter if he died? He'd felt half-dead most of his life, what was so bad about dying now? He'd tried to find worth, he'd tried to find solace, but all his efforts had failed. The only thing that helped was acting; pretending he was another person, living another life, being someone other than himself…

But no, there was the Hyuuga to consider. Itachi would no doubt be amused when he finds out that – even in death – Sasuke had managed to embarrass the family yet again, by involving the innocent Hyuuga heiress in his problems and failing to protect her. Well, he would no let that happen. He wasn't going to give his brother the satisfaction of seeing him fail.

Yusuke struggled to get free from his hold, but Sasuke held on tight. A couple of years ago, he'd made a movie wherein he'd played a cop. He'd spent months in a crash course at the Police Academy to get everything right for the part. He knew how to hold a gun properly and he knew how to subdue and maintain his hold on a struggling culprit. "I'm losing my patience," he said. "and this gun's safety is already off…"

The breath gushed out of the slumped man and a few muttered curses were heard before he ceased his struggles and went limp in Sasuke's hold. Sasuke didn't relax his grip and kept his focus on his captive, waiting.

"I didn't get a good look at him," Yusuke finally muttered begrudgingly. "I never got to see him except that one time."

"So it's a man then."

"Yes."

"That's not very helpful is it?" Sasuke tightened his grip on Yusuke's hands, causing the pilot to cry-out in pain. "Tell me more."

"I told you I only got to see him once-" whatever else Yusuke had been about to say was cut off at his exclamation when Sasuke dug his thumb on the pressure point located at Yusuke's wrist.

Sasuke felt a savage sort of satisfaction at the sound. "Wrong answer," he said.

Yusuke panted; his face deforming as he winced in pain. "H-his eyes…he had strange eyes…"

Sasuke jerked back, startled. "S-strange eyes…?" _It couldn't be..._

This bit of information managed to distract Sasuke enough that his hold on the gun and Yusuke slackened. Sensing his opportunity, the would-be assassin twisted free of Sasuke's grip and tried to elbow him in the face. Sasuke jerked back to avoid the blow. Yusuke's elbow caught Sasuke's gun hand instead, causing the fire arm to fly from his hand and skitter across the floor of the aircraft.

The two men lunged for it, ending up in a tangle of limbs, each trying to pin the other down and reach the gun first. Sasuke received a punch to his stomach and managed to retaliate by landing a blow to Yusuke's face. They grappled on the floor for what seemed like an eternity, each one desperate to defeat the other. It was literally a matter of life and death and not one of them was willing to give an inch.

"I really think the two of you should stop now."

The two men looked at Hinata and froze.

"Please get off of Sasuke-san, Yusuke-san. I really don't want to shoot you, but I will if I have to…on your knees please, Sasuke-san kindly hold him still..."

Sasuke did as Hinata instructed a little dazed by the incongruity of the situation. He winced, vaguely aware that he'd probably bruised a rib when Yusuke had hit him. He glanced back at Hinata and realized that this was the first time he'd actually heard her call him by his given name. That he can remember anyway, he wasn't quite sure since he'd never really paid any particular attention to her before – instead of the usual Uchiha-san.

She was kneeling on the floor, where she'd apparently picked up the firearm, and holding the gun trained at Yusuke. His arm never wavered and the competent way she held the weapon told him that at some point in her life, little miss Hyuuga Hinata had had training in the use of firearms.

The knowledge took him by surprise.

OOO

Hinata was shaking so badly that she was vaguely surprised she managed to speak at all, let alone not stutter. She got to her feet, keeping the gun aimed at their pilot, alert for any signs that he'd try to attack them again.

Her hands were freezing and she willed them not to shake. She'd taken off her gloves so she could hold the gun better(now she knew what Sasuke had been up to earlier) and the feel of the cold wind biting at her exposed flesh made her want to wince. Hinata wondered why Sasuke didn't seem bothered at all by his bare hands. Wasn't he cold?

She turned to him to ask if there was anything they could use to tie Yusuke with (so she didn't have to maintain constant vigilance and can take the time to put her gloves back on) when the view from the windshield behind him caused her eyes to widen in alarm. "Look out!" she yelled as she pointed straight ahead, the gun falling from her suddenly nerveless fingers.

Sasuke and the pilot turned in time to see the jagged rock outcropping that they were headed towards. They lunged for the control panel to try and pull the aircraft up and avoid a collision, but it was too late. They had been flying too low and the sound of the metal scraping against stone rang loud in their ears.

The impact sent them all staggering; Hinata was thrown backwards and hit the side the side of her head against something solid with enough force to make her see stars. Sasuke was yelling something, but she couldn't quite understand what it was. Smoke was everywhere and loud noises screeched beside her ears. Everything blurred and she slid to the floor in a dizzy heap. Sasuke's face loomed over hers and then his hands were on her, pulling her up and settling her on her seat.

"Belt…"

"Hmmm…?"Hinata murmured, feeling her head throb in time with the whirring of the propeller. "Put you seatbelt on, we're going to crash."

And that was the last thing Hinata heard before everything went black.

OOO

**To Be Continued…**


End file.
